3rd Grade Reading Comprehension

Free printable reading comprehension passage. Print for offline use (passage, questions, answer key, story with supporting text highlighted and underlined) or test comprehension with the online quiz. Recommended level: 3rd Grade and higher.

What Is the Iditarod?

The Iditarod is a dog sled race that takes place in Alaska every March. It is 1,050 miles long and goes from Anchorage to Nome.

In 1925, 20 dog sleds ran this trail to get medicine to children. It took them 6 days. The Iditarod is held to honor that event.

The first Iditarod was in 1973. The winner took 20 days. Now the race takes less than 10 days because of new equipment such as GPS.

A sled driver is called a musher. Each musher has a team of dogs that pull the sled. They start with 30 dogs and pick the best 12 to 16 for the race.

Some say that the race is cruel. The dogs are pushed too hard. But the people who run the race say that they don't let mushers mistreat the dogs.

The word Iditarod comes from a Native Alaskan word that means "a distant place."

Source: worksheetsplus.com/Reading/3rdReadingSportsIditarodE.html What Is the Iditarod?

What sort of race is the Iditarod?
dog sled
snowmobile
dirt bike
dog sled What is the dog sled driver called?
a driver
a coach
a musher
a musher When was the first Iditarod race?
1920
1973
1988
1973 During which month is the Iditarod held?
February
March
December
March What is the start city for the Iditarod?
Anchorage
Juneau
Nome
Anchorage In what city does the Iditarod finish?
Anchorage
Juneau
Nome
Nome What does Iditarod mean?
a distant place
a long trail
a dog path
a distant place What happened in 1925 that inspired the Iditarod race?
The trail was discovered.
A man with a dog sled traveled the trail in 10 days.
Dog sleds used the same trail to deliver medicine.
Dog sleds used the same trail to deliver medicine. Why are some people against the Iditarod race?
The weather is much too cold.
Some dogs are mistreated and pushed too hard.
There are dangerous polar bears on the route.
Some dogs are mistreated and pushed too hard.